BEND -- Tuesday night's League of Women Voter's forum featuring four candidates vying to be elected Secretary of State next month drew a standing-room only audience. "This is a small town. There's not a lot going on," one woman told me. Maybe. But it also feels like voters are starting to pay attention.

Incumbent Secretary of State Kate Brown was the target for much criticism but she also had a feisty response. Check out my story. In other political news:

--Can Jefferson Smith bounce back? Both Willamette Week and The Oregonian talk to political types about whether Smith, who is running for Portland mayor, can recover from recent news surrounding a 20-year-old case.

--Oregon governor presses for health reform (again). John Kitzhaber spoke again yesterday about the need to control health care costs. The Oregonian's Nick Budnick has the report. Meanwhile, Kitzhaber's education czar spoke of way education may be funded differently. OPB covered Rudy Crew's speech.

--Same-sex marriage in Washington. The Oregonian's Jeff Mapes spent some time up north recently talking to voters about gay marriage. His report looks at the potential for an historic vote.